BEST COMPS STUDY BREAK EVAR

[gogmagog]

Yay, new Doctor Who!

My thoughts on "Planet of the Dead":
- I was a bit wary of Michelle Ryan as companion Lady Christina de Souza, but she was actually kind of awesome (most of the time; there were a few moments where I just rolled my eyes at her, mostly the very Rusty-esque "YOU MUST LOVE HER AND THE ~*UNIQUE*~ SEXUAL TENSION BETWEEN HER AND THE DOCTOR" moments). And I totally felt for her when the Doctor refused to take her along in spite of her wanting the adventure (though I wasn't surprised, not just because obviously I knew she was a one-episoder but because of the sad reference to Donna calling him "spaceman"). But she was mostly just kinda kickass and sassy and prepared and was totally willing to make the Doctor second banana for a while, which was refreshing.
- ZOMG THE UNIT BITS WERE THE BEST EVER. Magambo and Malcolm as Doctor fangirl and fanboy was EPIC; all that was missing was the Brig there to puncture their bubble and be all "nice chap, all of them, but he's not all that and a bag of chips." Gotta say, though, I could totally live with Magambo as the new Brig (she's even got the Brig's gun-happiness and willingness to go for the greater good when the Doctor won't). The Doctor even just gave her a new Benton and Yates of her very own at the end: I look forward to seeing more from privates Nathan and Barclay!
- Speaking of classic!UNIT, REFERENCE TO "ROBOT" FOR THE WIN (hence the icon)
- Any episode with David Tennant tonguing chemically analyzing things and making funny clicking and grunting noises while contorting his mouth speaking alien languages is automatically kind of great.
- Also, as a medievalist, AETHELSTAN MENTION YEAHHHHHH
- HAVE I MENTIONED I LOVE MALCOLM? The bromance at the end was totally the best part. THE HUGGING!

Malcolm: Doctor!
Doctor: You must be Malcolm.
Malcolm: Ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh...! (hugging him) I love you! Ah, I love you. (quietly) I love you.
Magambo: To your station, Doctor Taylor.
Malcolm: ...yes, ma'am. (pulls away, but turns back and points to the Doctor) I love you!

MALCOLM FOR COMPANION Y/Y/HELL Y

Finally, we get foreshadowing from psychic lady:
Be careful, because your song is ending, sir. It is returning, it is returning through the dark. And then Doctor...oh, but then...you will knock four times.

So his "song ending" in "Planet of the Ood" was apparently not River Song, it appears (but of course the inevitable regeneration, sob). Also "it" is returning...what is "it"? Is it too tinhatty of me to suggest "it" is Gallifrey? "The dark" might suggest the Void, I guess.

And the knocking four times bit...eerie! Maybe because I'm a medievalist and everything comes down to biblical exegesis, I immediately think of Peter denying Christ three times (which I'm sure has nothing to do with anything).

Finally, we got the preview for the next special, "The Waters of Mars," featuring Lindsay Duncan (aka Servilia from Rome and lots of other awesome performances) as the companion. Interestingly, we get the Cloister Bell ringing all through the trailer, hmmm....

Also, since it's apparently set on Mars, can we get sum Ice Warriors up in hurr plzkthx

Edit: Apparently it's actually, on relistening, "HE will knock four times." I WONDER WHO THAT COULD MEAN. *dum-dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum-dum*

Comments

[braaaiiins.livejournal.com]

MALCOLM FOR COMPANION Y/Y/HELL Y

None of the above! Hated him so much! I was absolutely hoping one of those things would eat him when he stepped out of the bus. I don't even know where this hatred comes from. Malcom was truly the marine mammals of this episode for me. I guess I am just very intolerant of wackiness.

Also hated: certain things about Christina. I didn't mind her as a companion, especially a one-off one, but damn. Stealing expensive shit like that for shits and giggles? You're probably getting a lot of people fired or severely inconvenienced for no reason, and I doubt you're pawning your shit and giving the money to starving children in Africa or whatever. Dick! So glad when the police took her away at the end, so irritated when the Doctor freed her.

Also, yes, the sexual tension was dumb. But yeah, she was mostly bad-ass.

I enjoyed the episode a lot, though! It appears I really like to whine, though.

[braaaiiins.livejournal.com]

I am very repetitive, though.

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Malcolm wasn't on the bus! But yeah, I can see how he could seem kinda annoying (even I was a little peeved with him when he was going mano a womano with Magambo over closing the wormhole, because SERIOUSLY GREATER GOOD AND ALL). STILL HE WAS ADORABLE

I do agree about Christina: while I liked her as a companion, her whole "I deprive the country of priceless things for the adventure!" was kind of ridic. Also her whole "ewww I have dead people in my hair" moment irritated me a lot more than I felt it should. I did like her selfish-slash-practical streak though; we haven't had a really amoral companion since the one-episode wonder Adam back in NuWho S1.

Yeah, I kind of was surprised and thinking that she might actually get taken away to prison, show the kiddies a lesson (just because you're cool, doesn't mean that stealing isn't wrong and you won't get PRISON-RAPED); still, I was kinda glad she got to escape in her flying bus, since she was kinda bad-ass and sassy. Anyone who manages to boss around the Doctor I am ultimately gonna find pretty awesome.

I would ask why they have to give David Tennant sexual tension with every one of his companions (even Jack and Mickey!) but I think it's just something innate in either the actor or the character; I kind of think the former, since I bet he could have sexual chemistry with a piece of wood like John Barrowman.

[braaaiiins.livejournal.com]

Er, by bus, I mean that science van or whatever.

I find most of the sexual tension the Doctor has with companions kind of annoying, but I approve because it upsets people who are attached to the idea of a sexless Doctor. Whatevs, people.

[urchinmoppet.livejournal.com]

*pops on over from E-space*

MALCOLM FOR COMPANION Y/Y/HELL Y

YES! Or at least, the Doctor needs to keep his number on speed dial. XD

Edit: Apparently it's actually, on relistening, "HE will knock four times." I WONDER WHO THAT COULD MEAN.

THAT'S NOT OBVIOUS AT ALL. *maniacal laughter*

Totally agree with you, the knocking four times thing is eerie, and Ice Warriors Plz. I love me some Ice Warriors ♥

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes! The Doctor can have an entire UNIT category in his cellphone contacts - Martha, Malcolm, Magambo (why do all his UNIT peeps have names beginning with M?).

And I mean, it's an episode called "Waters of Mars"! Water = ice = Ice Warriors, clearly. Though maybe interglobal warming has turned them into Water Warriors (which sounds kind of like a Captain Planet villain).

Also if we do get Ice Warriors, and if that means we get a Jamie and Victoria and/or Zoe namecheck, I will basically love Rusty forever. Sure, we got the one Jamie namecheck in "Tooth and Claw," but since he's one of my top 3 companions (the other two being Sarah Jane and Donna), I want more! ;_;

[dremint.livejournal.com]

Omg, I didn't even think of the Master, even though I did hear it as "he will knock four times"...

The void was my first thought also when she said the bit about returning through the dark, so I'm thinking Daleks and/or cybermen... Or, Rose and 10,5?

Gallifrey would be more interesting, I think (I haven't watched Old Who, though).

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I didn't think of it either until I relistened!

Also if "it" will come through the Void, that would seem to preclude Daleks or Cybermen (unless it's a specific one of them; I think a return of Dalek Caan would be pretty awesome), and ditto with 10.5 and Rose (unless it's referring to like some ship they're using to cross the Void or somesuch).

Gallifrey is kind of great in Old Who, in a totally boring way (or maybe I mean that it's boring in a great way; you'll know what I mean when you watch it)...it's totally worth checking out Old Who, though, it's generally awesome!